Magnetic lifting device for a cellular sample treatment apparatus

Abstract

A magnetic lifting device for lifting a stack of specimen holders out of one tube and lowering them into another tube is disclosed. The device avoids the necessity of manual handling of the stack. In the device there are a number of stack holding tubes, each one open at the top, positioned in a circle about a vertical axis of a rotatable carousel. An indexing system rotates the carousel to selectively place one of the stack holding tubes in a treatment position. The improvement comprises a magnetizable member attached to the top of the stack of sample holders, a transfer tube having a bottom opening positioned to mate on top of the stack holding tube to hold the magnetizable member in a magnetic field, a device to raise and lower the magnetic coil about the transfer tube to raise and lower the magnetic coil about the transfer tube to raise the stack into the transfer tube allowing the carousel to be rotated, and lower the stack into another stack holding tube.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or priviledge is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In an apparatus for treating samples of cellular materials wherein the samples are contained in a plurality of sample holders joined together to form a stack, the apparatus including a plurality of stack holding tubes, each one open at the top, positioned in a circle about a vertical axis of a rotatable carousel,   drive means for rotating the carousel to selectively place one of the stack holding tubes in a treatment position,   the improvement comprising a magnetizable member attached to the top of the stack of sample holders,   a transfer tube having a bottom opening positioned to mate on top of the stack holding tube in the treatment position, a magnetic coil about the transfer tube to hold the magnetizable member in a magnetic field, means to raise and lower the magnetic coil about the transfer tube to raise the stack into the transfer tube allowing the carousel to be rotated, and lower the stack into another stack holding tube   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a second magnetic coil adjacent to the magnetic coil about the transfer tube, means to pulse electrical power to one of the magnetic coils such that a vibratory effect is transferred to the stack 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a top magnetic coil located at the top of the transfer tube to hold the stack in the top position in the top tube. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means to raise and lower the magnetic coil about the transfer tube raises the transfer tube from the stack holding tube in the treatment position on the carousel. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 1 including linear movement means for moving the carousel into at least three positions representing a rotating position, a cap removal position and the treatment position. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 5 including a drip tray positioned under the transfer tube, the drip tray mounted on a spring loaded arm adapted to allow the drip tray to move aside when the carousel is moved linearly to the treatment position. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a heating and cooling means positioned to heat and cool the stack holding tube in the treatment position.